The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed
Publication Date: February 27, 2024
Summary from NetGalley:
A world-weary woman races against the clock to survive a deadly forest in this dark, otherworldly fairytale from Nebula and World Fantasy Award-winning author Premee Mohamed.
At the northern edge of a land ruled by a merciless foreign tyrant lies a wild, forbidden forest ruled by powerful magic.
Veris Thorn—the only one to ever enter the forest and survive—is forced to go back inside to retrieve the tyrant’s missing children. Inside await traps and trickery, ancient monsters, and hauntings of the past.
One day is all Veris is afforded. One misstep will cost everything.
ARC provided by Tor Publishing via NetGalley for an honest review.
Confession:
This is a well done and beautifully written novella about grief and loss within the setting of a very dark and grim fairy tale. I only wish that the story had been longer as I wanted to spend more time with the characters and learn more about the forest and the creatures that lived within it.
Veris is an amazingly well done character. You really feel by the end of the story that you know her well. She carries a burden of grief that also makes her strong and perfect for the job. I really appreciated that she was older and the burdens of her life weighed heavily on her. She is also very brave and smart and knows how to navigate the Elmever and manages to keep herself safe.
The children she tries to rescue are also well done and strangely likable. Eleanor and Aram are traumatized by their venture into the forest, but realize that Veris is their only hope so learn to trust her and follow her directions. They have a wonderful sibling bond as well.
The writing was beautiful and mesmerizing. The pacing wasn’t exactly fast but the story was so compelling that I had a hard time putting it down. The plot is simple in its complexity with an ending that will leave you satisfied but also hoping for more. Although I did not find the beasts particularly scary, I can see others seeing them that way. But they all have interesting roles to play in trying to keep the children in the forest.
Overall this was a lovely way to spend an afternoon reading this dark yet beautiful tale. If you are looking for something short to read and don’t mind a little bit of horror, this is a book I recommend you pick up.
Confessions of a Serial Reader 
Whoa, that cover art. :O I’ve never heard of this before but it definitely sounds like my cup of tea and I’ll be adding it to my to-read list. Great review! 🙂
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Thanks, it was the cover that initially got my attention.😊
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